Prime mover rpm limiting control

ABSTRACT

A method for controlling the operation of a vehicle prime mover based on the engagement status of one or more safety restraints of the vehicle. In various implementations the method comprises monitoring, via a RPM controller of the vehicle, an operational status of vehicle, monitoring, via the RPM controller, the engagement status at least one passenger safety restraint of the vehicle, and limiting, via the RPM controller, a rotational speed, e.g., revolutions per minute (RPM) of one or more prime mover of the vehicle when the vehicle is in a On operational status and the at least one safety restraint is in a disengaged status.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/217,166 filed on Jul. 22, 2016. The disclosure of the aboveapplication is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The present teachings relate to RPM Limiting throttle control, and moreparticularly to an off-road vehicle including an engine RPM controlsystem for limiting the RPM of the engine while a safety belt is notconnected.

BACKGROUND

The statements in this section merely provide background informationrelated to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

Vehicle manufacturers are constantly adding safety features to thevehicles that produce. For example, many manufacturers of light weightvehicles, such maintenance vehicles, cargo vehicles, shuttle vehicles,golf carts, other all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), utility task vehicles(UTVs), recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs), side-by-side vehicles(SSV), worksite vehicles, buggies, tactical vehicles, etc. haveimplemented systems that limit the ground speed of the vehicle when adriver's safety restraint (e.g., seat belt) is not properly deployed,e.g., the restraint latch/buckle/connector is not properly engaged orconnected. However, implementation of such safety restraint ground speedcontrol systems is undesirably complex and expensive.

SUMMARY

In various embodiments, the present disclosure provides a method forcontrolling the operation of a vehicle prime mover based on theengagement status of one or more safety restraints of the vehicle. Invarious implementations the method comprises monitoring, via a RPMcontroller of the vehicle, an operational status of vehicle, monitoring,via the RPM controller, the engagement status of at least one passengersafety restraint of the vehicle, and limiting, via the RPM controller, arotational speed, e.g., revolutions per minute (RPM) of one or moreprime mover of the vehicle when the vehicle is in an On operationalstatus and the at least one safety restraint is in a disengaged status.

This summary is provided merely for purposes of summarizing variousexample embodiments of the present disclosure so as to provide a basicunderstanding of various aspects of the teachings herein. Variousembodiments, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from thefollowing detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, theprinciples of the described embodiments. Accordingly, it should beunderstood that the description and specific examples set forth hereinare intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended tolimit the scope of the present teachings.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and arenot intended to limit the scope of the present teachings in any way.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a vehicle having a safety restraint primemover RPM (revolutions per minute) limiting controller, in accordancewith various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1, inaccordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the vehicle and the safety restraint primemover RPM limiting controller shown in FIG. 1, in accordance withvarious embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating implementation of prime mover RPMcontrol by a safety restraint module of the safety restraint prime moverRPM limiting controller, in accordance with various embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating implementation of prime mover RPMcontrol by the safety restraint module of the safety restraint primemover RPM limiting controller, in accordance with various otherembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating implementation of prime mover RPMcontrol by the safety restraint module of the safety restraint primemover RPM limiting controller, in accordance with yet other variousembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating implementation of prime mover RPMcontrol by the safety restraint module of the safety restraint primemover RPM limiting controller, in accordance with still yet othervarious embodiments of the present disclosure.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views of drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no wayintended to limit the present teachings, application, or uses.Throughout this specification, like reference numerals will be used torefer to like elements. Additionally, the embodiments disclosed beloware not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to theprecise forms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather,the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in theart can utilize their teachings. As well, it should be understood thatthe drawings are intended to illustrate and plainly disclose presentlyenvisioned embodiments to one of skill in the art, but are not intendedto be manufacturing level drawings or renditions of final products andmay include simplified conceptual views to facilitate understanding orexplanation. As well, the relative size and arrangement of thecomponents may differ from that shown and still operate within thespirit of the invention.

As used herein, the word “exemplary” or “illustrative” means “serving asan example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation describedherein as “exemplary” or “illustrative” is not necessarily to beconstrued as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. Allof the implementations described below are exemplary implementationsprovided to enable persons skilled in the art to practice the disclosureand are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art to which this disclosure belongs. The terminology used herein isfor the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and isnot intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,”“an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well,unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,”“comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and thereforespecify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations,elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence oraddition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations,elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps,processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed asnecessarily requiring their performance in the particular orderdiscussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order ofperformance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternativesteps can be employed.

When an element, object, device, apparatus, component, region orsection, etc., is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to or with,”“connected to or with,” or “coupled to or with” another element, object,device, apparatus, component, region or section, etc., it can bedirectly on, engaged, connected or coupled to or with the other element,object, device, apparatus, component, region or section, etc., orintervening elements, objects, devices, apparatuses, components, regionsor sections, etc., can be present. In contrast, when an element, object,device, apparatus, component, region or section, etc., is referred to asbeing “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to,” or“directly coupled to” another element, object, device, apparatus,component, region or section, etc., there may be no interveningelements, objects, devices, apparatuses, components, regions orsections, etc., present. Other words used to describe the relationshipbetween elements, objects, devices, apparatuses, components, regions orsections, etc., should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between”versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.).

As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations ofone or more of the associated listed items. For example, A and/or Bincludes A alone, or B alone, or both A and B.

Although the terms first, second, third, etc. can be used herein todescribe various elements, objects, devices, apparatuses, components,regions or sections, etc., these elements, objects, devices,apparatuses, components, regions or sections, etc., should not belimited by these terms. These terms may be used only to distinguish oneelement, object, device, apparatus, component, region or section, etc.,from another element, object, device, apparatus, component, region orsection, etc., and do not necessarily imply a sequence or order unlessclearly indicated by the context.

Moreover, it will be understood that various directions such as “upper”,“lower”, “bottom”, “top”, “left”, “right”, “first”, “second” and soforth are made only with respect to explanation in conjunction with thedrawings, and that components may be oriented differently, for instance,during transportation and manufacturing as well as operation. Becausemany varying and different embodiments may be made within the scope ofthe concept(s) herein taught, and because many modifications may be madein the embodiments described herein, it is to be understood that thedetails herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and non-limiting.

The apparatuses/systems and methods described herein can be implementedat least in part by one or more computer program products comprising oneor more non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable mediums storingcomputer programs with instructions that may be performed by one or moreprocessors. The computer programs may include processor executableinstructions and/or instructions that may be translated or otherwiseinterpreted by a processor such that the processor may perform theinstructions. The computer programs can also include stored data.Non-limiting examples of the non-transitory, tangible, computer readablemedium are nonvolatile memory, magnetic storage, and optical storage.

As used herein, the term module can refer to, be part of, or include anapplication specific integrated circuit (ASIC); an electronic circuit; acombinational logic circuit; a field programmable gate array (FPGA); aprocessor (shared, dedicated, or group) that performs instructionsincluded in code, including for example, execution of executable codeinstructions and/or interpretation/translation of uncompiled code; othersuitable hardware components that provide the described functionality;or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in asystem-on-chip. The term module can include memory (shared, dedicated,or group) that stores code executed by the processor.

The term code, as used herein, can include software, firmware, and/ormicrocode, and can refer to one or more programs, routines, functions,classes, and/or objects. The term shared, as used herein, means thatsome or all code from multiple modules can be performed, e.g., executed,using a single (shared) processor. In addition, some or all code frommultiple modules can be stored by a single (shared) memory. The termgroup, as used above, means that some or all code, that can includeexecutable and/or non-executable code, from a single module can beperformed, e.g., executable code can be executed using a group ofprocessors. In addition, some or all code from a single module can bestored using a group of memories.

While the present disclosure is primarily directed to an off-roadutility vehicle, it should be understood that the features disclosedherein can have application to other types of vehicles such as mostlightweight vehicles that are not designated for use on roadways, e.g.,maintenance vehicles, cargo vehicles, shuttle vehicles, golf carts,other all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), utility task vehicles (UTVs),recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs), side-by-side vehicles (SSV),worksite vehicles, buggies, motorcycles, watercraft, snowmobiles,tactical vehicles, etc.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the present disclosure provides a utilityvehicle 10 that includes a safety restraint prime mover RPM controller14 that is structured and operable to control (e.g., limit) therotational speed (e.g., revolutions per minute (RPM)) of at least onevehicle prime mover 18 (e.g., an internal combustion engine (ICE) and/oran electric motor) when one or more safety restraint device 22 (e.g.,seat belt(s), side/door net(s), etc.) of the vehicle 10 is/aredisengaged (e.g., disconnected or unbuckled) and the vehicle 10 in an Onoperational status. The safety restraint prime mover RPM controller 14will be referred to herein simply as the RPM controller 14 and cancomprise one or more computer based modules.

The vehicle 10 additionally includes a passenger compartment 26supported by a chassis 28 of the vehicle 10, one or more front wheels 30operationally connected to the chassis 28, one or more rear wheels 32operationally connected to the chassis 28, and a drivetrain 34operationally connected to at least one of the front and/or rear wheels30 and/or 32. The drivetrain 34 includes the prime mover(s) 18. Asdescribed above, the one or more prime mover 18 (shown in FIG. 1) can beone of, or both of, an internal combustion engine (ICE) 38 and anelectric motor 42 (shown in FIG. 2).

In various implementations wherein the vehicle 10 includes the ICE 38,the vehicle drivetrain 34 additionally includes a transmission 46 (e.g.,a continuously variable transmission (CVT)) operably connected to theICE 38 and structured and operable to receive torque (e.g., motiveforce) generated by the ICE 38. In various embodiments, the transmission46 can be directly connected to the ICE 38. In various implementations afirst differential 54 can be operatively connected to the transmission46 and structured and operable to distribute torque received fromtransmission 46 to at least one of the rear wheels 30, via a rear axle58. In various embodiments the drivetrain 34 can include a driveshaft(not shown) that operatively connects the ICE 38 and transmission 46 tothe first differential 54. Although the ICE 38 is shown by way ofexample in FIG. 2 as providing torque to at least one of the rear wheels32, it is envisioned that the ICE 38 can additionally or alternativelybe operationally connected, via the transmission 46 to deliver torque toat least one of the front wheels 30. In various ICE implementations, thevehicle 10 further includes an engine throttle 60 that is structured andoperable to control a fuel/air mixture supplied to the ICE 38 toincrease and decrease the RPM of the ICE 38. More specifically, theengine throttle 60 is operationally connected to an accelerator pedal 62disposed within the passenger compartment 26 such that the enginethrottle 56 is responsive to position of an accelerator pedal 62, ascontrolled by a vehicle operator, to increase and decrease the RPM ofthe ICE 38 as desired, and thereby control the torque delivered by theICE 38 to one or more of the front and/or rear wheels 30 and/or 34. Itshould be noted that, in addition to the RPM of the ICE, the torquedelivered to one or more of the front and/or rear wheels 30 and/or 34can further be effected and controlled by the operational configuration(e.g., the gear ratio) of the at least one of the transmission 46,and/or the first differential 54, and/or the second differential 64.

In various implementations wherein the vehicle 10 includes the electricmotor 42, the vehicle 10 can additionally include a second differential64 operatively connected to the electric motor 42 and structured andoperable to receive torque (e.g., motive force) generated by theelectric motor 42 and to distribute the torque to at least one of thefront wheels 30, via a front axle 66. Although the electric motor 42 isshown by way of example in FIG. 2 as providing torque to at least one ofthe front wheels 30, it is envisioned that the electric motor canadditionally or alternatively be operationally connected to delivertorque to at least one of the rear wheels 32. In various electric motorimplementations, the vehicle 10 further includes a motor current and/orvoltage controller 68 that is structured and operable to control theamount of current and/or voltage supplied to the motor 42 to increaseand decrease the RPM of the motor 42. More specifically, thecurrent/voltage controller 68 is operationally connected to theaccelerator pedal 62 such that the current/voltage controller isresponsive to position of an accelerator pedal 62, as controlled by avehicle operator, to increase and decrease the RPM of the motor 42 asdesired, and thereby control the torque delivered by the motor 42 to oneor more of the front and/or rear wheels 30 and/or 32. It should be notedthat, in addition to the RPM of the motor 42, the torque delivered toone or more of the front and/or rear wheels 30 and/or 34 can further beeffected and controlled by the operational configuration (e.g., the gearratio) of the at least one of the transmission 46, and/or the firstdifferential 54, and/or the second differential 64. It will beappreciated, that the foregoing description of the drivetrain 34 isprovided by way of example, and not by way of limitation, and otherselection and arrangement of components can be substituted within thescope of the disclosure. For example, in some embodiments, a transaxlecan be substituted for the transmission 46 and one of the differentials54/64 and remain within the scope of the disclosure.

It is envisioned that various embodiments, the vehicle 10 can beconfigured as a 4-wheel drive vehicle, wherein at least one of the ICE38 and/or the electric motor 42 is/are operatively connected to thefirst differential 54, and at least one of the ICE 38 and/or theelectric motor 42 is/are operatively connected to the seconddifferential 64 such that the ICE 38 and/or the electric motor 42deliver torque to at least one front wheel 30 and at least one rearwheel 32. In such 4-wheel drive embodiments, the vehicle 10 can includea driveshaft 70 structured and operable to connect the ICE 38 and/or theelectric motor 42 to the respective other first or second differential54 or 64. As used herein, based on the particular configuration of theprime mover(s) 18 of the vehicle 10, that is, based on whether thevehicle 10 includes just the ICE 38, just the electric motor 42, or boththe ICE 38 and the electric motor 42, and whether the vehicle 10 isconfigured as a 2-wheel drive vehicle or a 4-drive vehicle, thedrivetrain 34 can comprise any or all of, individually or in anycombination, the transmission 46, the first differential 54, the rearaxle 58, the second differential 64, front axle 66, and the driveshaft70.

The passenger compartment 26 generally includes: a dash console 72 thatcan include such things an On/Off key switch, a driver informationdisplay panel/screen, a forward/neutral/reverse selector, a 2-wheeldrive/4-wheel drive selector, one or more small accessory storagepockets, a speedometer, various other gauges and/or instrumentation, aradio, and/or various other vehicle controls; a steering wheel 74 foruse by the vehicle operator to control the directional movement of thevehicle 10; a brake pedal 76 for use by the vehicle operator to controlslowing and stopping of the vehicle 10; the accelerator pedal 62 for useby the vehicle operator to control the torque delivered by one or moreprime mover 18 to one or more of the front and/or rear wheels 30 and/or32; a floorboard 78; and one or more passenger seating structure 80 forsupporting one or more passengers of the vehicle 10 (e.g., a driver andone or more non-drivers). The seating structure 80 can be any suitableseating structure, for example, one or more row bench style seats or oneor more rows of side-by-side seats.

As described above, the safety restraint prime mover RPM controller 14is structured and operable to control (e.g., limit) the rotational speed(e.g., revolutions per minute (RPM)) of at least one vehicle prime mover18 (e.g., an internal combustion engine (ICE) 38 and/or an electricmotor 42) when one or more safety restraint device 22 (e.g., seat belts,side/door net, etc.) of the vehicle 10 is disengaged (e.g., disconnectedor unbuckled) and the vehicle 10 is in an On operational status. Moreparticularly, in various embodiments when one or more of safetyrestraint device 22 is disengaged, and the vehicle 10 is in the Onoperational status, the safety restraint prime mover RPM controller 14will limit the RPM of the prime mover(s) 18 to a maximum threshold. Inthis regard, the RPM controller 14 can be configured to prevent the RPMof the prime mover(s) 18 from exceeding the maximum threshold, such thatRPM of the prime mover(s) 18 can be confined within a range between 0RPM and the maximum threshold. The maximum threshold can be anypredetermined RPM value, for example, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000 or 6000RPM.

As used herein, the On operational status will be understood to meanthat prime mover(s) 18, e.g., the ICE 38 and/or the electric motor 42,has/have been placed in an operational status. That is, the ICE 38 ofthe vehicle 10 has been started and is running and/or the electric motor42 of the vehicle 10 has been activated, e.g., electrically connected toa power source such as a battery pack 96 of the vehicle 10. When in theOn operational status, the vehicle 10 (e.g., the drivetrain 34) can beconfigured in a Forward Mode or a Reverse Mode, whereby torque will beprovided to at least one wheel 30/32 when a vehicle operator actuates anaccelerator pedal 62 of the vehicle, or configured in a Neutral Mode,whereby torque will not be provided to any of the wheels 30/32 if avehicle operator actuates the accelerator pedal 62 of the vehicle.

The safety restraint device(s) 22 can comprise any suitable passengersafety restraint device, such as a seat belt or seat harness, a side ordoor net, a top or roof net, or any other device that is manually orautomatically engageable/disengageable and is structured and operable toretain a respective vehicle passenger in a respective seating structure80 and/or within the passenger compartment 26 if the vehicle 10 stopsquickly, makes a sharp turn, traverses rough, bumpy and/or hillyterrain, or is otherwise operated such that, if not for the safetyrestraint device(s) 22, the passenger(s) may be displaced or ejectedfrom the respective seating structure 80 and/or vehicle 10. It isenvisioned that the vehicle 10 can include one or more different type ofsafety restraint device 22.

Although the safety restrain device(s) 22 can be any manually orautomatically engageable/disengageable device of the vehicle 10 that isstructured and operable to protect passengers from displacement and/orejection from the seating structure 80 and/or the vehicle 10, asdescribed above, for simplicity and conciseness, the safety device(s) 22will be described herein, by way of example, as one or more seat belt orseat harness device structured and operable to retain a respectivevehicle passenger in a respective seating structure 80 if the vehicle 10stops quickly, makes a sharp turn, traverses rough, bumpy and/or hillyterrain, or is otherwise operated such that, if not for the safetyrestraint device(s) 22, the passenger(s) may be displaced or ejectedfrom the respective seating structure 80. In such embodiments, thesafety restraint device(s) 22 comprise(s) a lap belt 100 that isconnected to a first connector 102A of a seatbelt latching device 102.In various instances, the safety restraint device(s) 22 can additionallyinclude a torso belt 104 that is also connected to the first connector102A of the latching device 102. A second connector 1028 of the seatbeltlatching device 102 is anchored to the seat structure 80 or othervehicle support structure. Therefore, when the lap belt 100 is extendedacross the lap of a vehicle passenger and/or the torso belt 104 isextended across the torso of a vehicle passenger, and the first andsecond connectors 102A and 102B of the latching device 102 areconnected, interlocked, buckled, or otherwise secured to together, therespective vehicle passenger is retained within the respective seatingstructure 80.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, as described above, the RPM controller14 will limit the rotational speed the vehicle prime mover(s) 18 to amaximum threshold when one or more safety restraint device 22 isdisengaged and the vehicle 10 is in the On operational status (e.g., theICE 38 is running and/or the electric motor 42 has been activated). Itis envisioned that the RPM controller 14 can comprise one or more, or bepart of, application specific integrated circuit(s) (e.g., ASIC(s)),combinational logic circuit(s); field programmable gate array(s) (FPGA);processor(s) (shared, dedicated, or group) that execute and implementsafety restraint RPM limiting software; and/or other suitable hardwarecomponents that provide the functionality described herein; or acombination of some or all of the above, such as in a system-on-chip,and remain within the scope of the present disclosure.

In various embodiments, the RPM controller 14 comprises a safetyrestraint module 82 that is structured and operable to implement safetyrestraint actuated prime mover rotational speed (e.g., RPM) limitingcommand software functionality (referred to herein as safety restraintRPM limiting software), as described below. In various embodiments, theRPM controller 14 additionally includes at least one electronic memorydevice 84 and at least one processor 86. In various embodiments, the RPMcontroller 14 can further include one or more other module 88 thatis/are structured and operable to implement routines to control variousother different aspects of the vehicle 10. The electronic memorydevice(s) 84 comprise(s) a computer readable medium, e.g.,non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable medium, such as a harddrive, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electronicallyerasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), read-write memory(RWM), etc. Other, non-limiting examples of the non-transitory,tangible, computer-readable medium are nonvolatile memory, magneticstorage, and optical storage. The processor(s) 86 is/are suitable toexecute the various software, programs, algorithms, and/or code storedon the memory device 84, and the various software, programs, algorithms,and/or code implemented by and/or stored in the safety restraint module82 and other module(s) 88, e.g., the safety restraint RPM limitingsoftware.

It should be understood that, although the various safety restraint RPMlimiting software control operations and functionality, and othersoftware control operations and functionality, may be described hereinas being implemented or carried out by safety restraint module 82, e.g.,by the RPM controller 14, it will be appreciated that in someembodiments the RPM controller 14 may indirectly perform and/or controlperformance of such operations and functionality by generating commandsand control signals that can cause other elements to carry out thecontrol operations and functionality described herein. For example, inthe various executable software embodiments, it is the execution of thesafety restraint RPM limiting software by one or more processor 86 ofthe RPM controller 14 that can generate the seat belt actuated primemover RPM limiting commands that are then output by the RPM controller14 to implement the safety restraint RPM limiting software operationsand functions as described herein. Or, in the various hardwareembodiments, it is the operation of the various RPM controller 14hardware components that can generate the seat belt actuated prime moverRPM limiting commands that are then output by the RPM controller 14 toimplement the safety restraint RPM limiting software operations andfunctions as described herein.

As described above, the accelerator pedal 62 is operatively connected tothe engine throttle 60 and/or the current/voltage controller 68,depending on whether the prime mover(s) 18 comprise(s) the ICE 38 and/orthe motor 42. Additionally, the engine throttle 60 and/or thecurrent/voltage controller 68 are in data communication with the RPMcontroller 14, and specifically with the safety restraint module 82thereof. The RPM controller 14, and particularly the safety restraintmodule 82, is further in data communication with one or more prime moverspeed sensor(s) 90 of the vehicle 10. The speed sensor(s) 90 is/arestructured and operable to monitor and communicate to the safetyrestraint module 82 the rotational speed (e.g., RPM) of the primemover(s) 18 (e.g., the RPM of the ICE 38 and/or the electric motor 42)during operation of the vehicle 10. In various embodiments, the primemover speed sensor(s) 90 can further provide data to the other modules88 to control other operations of the vehicle 10.

Furthermore, the RPM controller 14, and particularly the safetyrestraint module 82, is in data communication with a vehicle operationalstatus sensor, switch or device 94 (e.g., an ignition switch, an On/Offswitch, etc.) of the vehicle 10. The vehicle operational status sensor,switch or device 94 is structured and operable to monitor andcommunicate to the safety restraint module 82 the operational status ofthe vehicle 10. In the On operational status, wherein an ICE ignitionswitch has been activated and/or an electric motor On/Off switch is setto the On position, the ICE 38 has been started and is running and/orthe electric motor 42 has been activated (e.g., the motor 42 has beenelectrically connected to the a battery pack 96 of the vehicle) suchthat the ICE 38 and/or electric motor 42 will provide motive force tothe vehicle in response to operation of the accelerator pedal 62. In anOff operational status, wherein the ICE ignition switch has beendeactivated and/or the electric motor On/Off switch is set to the Offposition, the ICE 38 has not been started and is not running and/or theelectric motor 42 is deactivated (e.g., the motor 42 is electricallydisconnected from the battery pack 96) such that the ICE 38 and/orelectric motor 42 will not provide motive force to the vehicle inresponse to operation of the accelerator pedal 62.

Still further, the RPM controller 14, and particularly the safetyrestraint module 82, is in data communication with at least one safetyrestraint sensor (e.g., at least one seatbelt sensor) 98 of the vehicle10. The safety restraint sensor(s) 98 is/are structured and operable tomonitor and communicate to the safety restraint module 82 an engagementstatus of a respective safety restraint device 22 of the vehicle 10. Forexample, in the various embodiments, wherein the safety restraint deviceis a seat belt or seat harness, the safety restraint sensor(s) 98 is/arestructured and operable to monitor and communicate to the safetyrestraint module 82 whether the first and second connectors 102A and1028 of the respective safety restraint latching device 102 are engaged(e.g., connected, interlocked, buckled, or otherwise secured totogether) or disengaged (e.g., disconnected, not interlocked, unbuckled,or otherwise not secured to together). In various implementations, thesafety restraint sensor(s) 98 can be structured and operable tocommunicate with the safety restraint module 82 only when the first andsecond connectors 102A and 102B of the respective safety restraintlatching device 102 are disengaged.

In various embodiments, the RPM controller 14, and particularly thesafety restraint module 82, can further be in data communication with aForward/Neutral/Reverse (F/N/R) controller 110 of the vehicle 10. TheF/N/R controller 110 is structured and operable to selectively place thedrivetrain 34 of the vehicle 10 in a Forward Mode, a Neutral Mode, or aReverse Mode. When in the Forward Mode the vehicle drivetrain 34 isconfigured to provide a motive force to propel the vehicle 10 in aforward direction. When in the Neutral Mode the vehicle drivetrain 34 isconfigured to provide no motive force to the vehicle 10. When in theReverse Mode the vehicle drivetrain 34 is configured to provide a motiveforce to propel the vehicle 10 in a reverse direction. The F/N/Rcontroller 110 is additionally structured and operable to communicate tothe safety restraint module 82 the position or setting of the F/N/Rswitch 110, that is, in which of the Forward Mode, the Neutral Mode, andthe Reverse Mode the drivetrain 34 has been configured.

In various embodiments, the vehicle 10 can include a ground speed sensor114 and a driver information display panel/screen 118 (which can bedisposed in the dash console, as described above). The ground speedsensor 114 is structured and operable to determine and monitor theground speed of the vehicle 10. It should be noted that, in variousexample embodiments, such as that illustrated in FIG. 3, the groundspeed sensor 114 is not in data communication with the safety restraintmodule 82. Rather, the ground speed sensor 114 can be in datacommunication with the one or more other vehicle module 88. In variousembodiments, the ground speed sensor 114 can communicate datarepresentative of the ground speed of the vehicle 10 to one or more ofthe other modules 88, whereby the one or more other modules 88 cantranslate the ground speed data and display the ground speed on thedriver information display panel/screen 118 to be viewed by the vehicleoperator. Importantly, in various example embodiments, such as thatillustrated in FIG. 3, data from the ground speed sensor 114 is notcommunicated to the safety restraint module 82 of the RPM controller 14,and more particularly is not utilized during execution of the safetyrestraint RPM limiting software to control (e.g., limit) the RPM of theprime mover(s) when one or more of the safety restraints is disengaged.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, FIG. 4 provides a flow chart 200illustrating a method of prime mover RPM control implemented by thesafety restraint module 82, in accordance with an example embodiment. Itis envisioned that implementation of the prime mover RPM control by thesafety restraint module 82 can be achieved via execution of the safetyrestraint RPM limiting software, by hardware, or a combination ofsoftware and hardware. In the example embodiment of FIG. 4, the safetyrestraint module 82 communicates with (e.g., receives inputs from) theoperational status sensor, switch or device 94 to monitor theoperational status of the vehicle 10 to determine whether the vehicle 10is in the On operational status (e.g., the ICE 38 has been startedand/or the electric motor 42 has been activated), as illustrated at 202.Additionally, the safety restraint module 82 communicates with (e.g.,receives inputs from) the safety restraint sensor(s) 98 (e.g., seat beltsensor(s) 98) to monitor the engagement status of at least one safetyrestraint device 22 (e.g., the engagement status of at least thedriver's side safety restraint device 22) to determine whether thesafety restraint device(s) 22 is/are engaged, as illustrated at 206. Asdescribed above, in various embodiments, the safety restraint module 82can receive inputs from and monitor the engagement status of only onesafety restraint device 22 (e.g., a driver's safety restraint device22), or the safety restraint module 82 can receive inputs from andmonitor the engagement status of a plurality of safety restraint devices22 (e.g., a driver's safety restraint device 22, and the safetyrestraint device(s) 22 of one or more passenger/non-driver).

If the safety restraint module 82 determines that the vehicle 10 is inthe On operational status and the safety restraint device(s) 22 is/aredisengaged, the safety restraint module 82 monitors the RPM of the primemover(s) 18 via communication with (e.g., receives inputs from) theprime mover speed sensor 90, and outputs commands to control theoperation of the prime mover(s) 18 (e.g., the ICE 38 and/or the electricmotor 68) so that the rotational speed (RPM) of the prime mover(s) 18does not exceed a predetermined maximum RPM threshold (e.g., 2000, 3000,4000, 5000 or 6000 RPM), as illustrated at 210. For example, in variousembodiments the maximum RPM threshold can be set to 4000 RPM.

It will be understood that if any of the conditions monitored by thesafety restraint module 82 during the operations indicated at 202 or 206do not occur (e.g., the vehicle 10 is in an Off operational status,and/or the safety restraint device(s) 22 are engaged), in variousembodiments, the safety restraint module 82 of such embodiments will notimplement prime mover RPM control and will loop back to the operationindicated at 202 and repeat the subsequent operations, as describedabove.

Although the implementation of the prime mover RPM control by the safetyrestraint module 82 has been described with regard to flow chart 200such that the safety restraint module 82 determines the operationalstatus of the vehicle 10 (operation 202), then determines the engagementstatus of the safety restraint device(s) 22 (operation 206),implementation by the safety restraint module 82 is not limited to thisorder of operations. It is envisioned that the operations 202 and 206,and any other operations described herein that are carried out by thesafety restraint module 82, can be performed in any order.

In various embodiments the maximum RPM threshold is programmable suchthat the maximum RPM threshold can be set to any desired value and ischangeable by a vehicle operator via any suitable RPM controllerprogramming device, e.g., using the display 118 and programming storedin the memory device 84, wired or wireless connection to a handheldprogrammer such as a table or smart phone). Additionally, in variousinstances, access or allowability for programming the maximum RPMthreshold can be limited or protected through password security or othersecurity method.

In various embodiments, to limit the RPM of the ICE 38 when the safetyrestraint device(s) 22 are disengaged and the vehicle 10 is in the Onoperational status, the safety restraint module 82 overrides inputs fromthe accelerator pedal 62 to the engine throttle 60 and controls theengine throttle 60 so that the RPM of ICE 38 will not exceed the maximumRPM threshold. Similarly, when the safety restraint device(s) 22 aredisengaged and the vehicle 10 is in the On operational status, thesafety restraint module 82 overrides inputs from the accelerator pedal62 to motor current/voltage controller 68 and controls the motorcurrent/voltage controller 68 so that the RPM of electric motor 42 willnot exceed the maximum RPM threshold.

In the embodiments wherein the vehicle 10 includes both the ICE 38 andthe electric motor 42, the safety restraint module 82 overrides inputsfrom the accelerator pedal 62 to both engine throttle 60 and the motorcurrent/voltage controller 68 and controls both engine throttle 60 andthe motor current/voltage controller 68 so that the RPM of both the ICE38 and the electric motor 42 will not exceed the maximum RPM threshold.It is envisioned that the maximum RPM threshold for ICE 38 and themaximum RPM threshold for the electric motor 42 can be the same value ordifferent values.

By way of example, to illustrate operation of the safety restraintmodule 82, in an example scenario the vehicle 10 is initially in the Offoperational status, wherein the prime mover(s) 18 are not configured tooutput torque (e.g., the ICE 38 is not running and/or the electric motor42 deactivated). Subsequently, an operator can place the vehicle in theOn operational status by starting the ICE 38 and/or activating theelectric motor 42. Upon placing the vehicle in the On operationalstatus, the safety restraint module 82 begins to monitor the RPM of theprime mover(s) via communication with the prime mover speed sensor 90,and communicates with the safety restraint sensor(s) 98 to determine ifthe safety restraint device(s) 22 are engaged. If the safety restraintdevice(s) 22 is/are disengaged, the safety restraint module 82 willlimit the RPM of the prime mover(s) 18 to the maximum RPM threshold. Forexample, the safety restraint module 82 will monitor the RPM of the ICE38 and/or the electric motor 42, and control operation of the enginethrottle 60 and/or the motor current/voltage controller 68 to limit anycommanded/requested increase in RPM of the ICE 38 and/or electric motor42 to the respective maximum RPM threshold. Hence, although the vehicle10 can be driven (e.g., operated to deliver torque to at least one ofthe wheels 30/32), the safety restraint module 82 will not allow the RPMof the prime mover 18 to exceed the maximum RPM threshold, regardless ofcommands from the accelerator pedal 62 to exceed the maximum RPMthreshold. If the safety restraint device(s) 22 is/are engaged, thesafety restraint module 82 will monitor the RPM of the prime mover(s) 18via communication with the prime mover speed sensor 90 and allow normaloperation of the prime mover(s) 18.

By way of another example, to illustrate operation of the safetyrestraint module 82, in another example scenario the vehicle 10 ismoving under the control of a vehicle driver, the safety restraintdevice(s) 22 is/are engaged, the safety restraint module 82 ismonitoring the RPM of the prime mover(s) via communication with theprime mover speed sensor 90, and the prime mover(s) 18 is/are operatingat an RPM that is greater than the maximum RPM threshold. Subsequently,if the safety restraint device(s) 22 is/are disengaged, the safetyrestraint module 82 will immediately override the commands from theaccelerator pedal 62 and lower the RPM of the prime mover(s) to themaximum RPM threshold. For example, the safety restraint module 82 willmonitor the RPM of the ICE 38 and/or the electric motor 42, and controloperation of the engine throttle 60 and/or the motor current/voltagecontroller 68 to reduce the RPM of the ICE 38 and/or electric motor 42to the respective maximum RPM threshold. If the safety restraintdevice(s) 22 is/are subsequently reengaged, the safety restraint module82 will monitor the RPM of the prime mover(s) 18 and allow normaloperation of the prime mover(s) 18.

By way of yet another example, to illustrate operation of the safetyrestraint module 82, in yet another example scenario the vehicle 10 ismoving under the control of a vehicle driver, the safety restraintdevice(s) 22 is/are engaged, the safety restraint module 82 ismonitoring the RPM of the prime mover(s) via communication with theprime mover speed sensor 90, and the prime mover(s) 18 is/are operatingat an RPM that is less than the maximum RPM threshold. Subsequently, ifthe safety restraint device(s) 22 is/are disengaged, the safetyrestraint module 82 will limit any commanded increase in RPM to themaximum RPM threshold. That is, the prime mover(s) 18 RPM can beincreased up to the maximum RPM threshold, but any commands from theaccelerator pedal 62 to increase the RPM over the maximum RPM thresholdwill be overridden by the safety restraint module 82 and the primemover(s) RPM will not be allowed to exceed the maximum RPM threshold.For example, the safety restraint module 82 will monitor the RPM of theICE 38 and/or the electric motor 42, and control operation of the enginethrottle 60 and/or the motor current/voltage controller 68 to limit anycommanded increase in the RPM of the ICE 38 and/or electric motor 42 tothe respective maximum RPM threshold. If the safety restraint device(s)22 is/are subsequently reengaged, the safety restraint module 82 willmonitor the RPM of the prime mover(s) 18 and allow normal operation ofthe prime mover(s) 18.

It is described above that in various embodiments, the safety restraintmodule 82 can control (e.g., limit) the RPM of the ICE 38 by controllingthe operation of the engine throttle 60. As described above, the enginethrottle 60 controls the supply of air and/or fuel to ICE 38. In variousother embodiments, the safety restraint module 82 can control (e.g.,limit) the RPM of the ICE 38 by controlling the ignition timing of theICE 38 via communication with an engine ignition distributor (not shown)or an engine electronic ignition device (not shown). In yet othervarious embodiments, the safety restraint module 82 can control (e.g.,limit) the RPM of the ICE 38 by controlling both the engine throttle 60and the ignition timing of the ICE 38 (e.g., controlling the engineignition distributor or the engine electronic ignition device.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 5, FIG. 5 provides a flow chart 300illustrating a method of prime mover RPM control implemented by thesafety restraint module 82, in accordance with another exampleembodiment. It is envisioned that implementation of the prime mover RPMcontrol by the safety restraint module 82 can be achieved via executionof the safety restraint RPM limiting software, by hardware, or acombination of software and hardware. In various embodiments, inaddition to the operations described above with regard to flow chart200, the safety restraint module 82 can communicate with (e.g., receiveinputs from) the F/N/R controller 110 to monitor and determine when tolimit the RPM of the prime mover(s) 18 to the maximum RPM threshold.

That is, in various embodiments, if the safety restraint module 82determines that the vehicle 10 is in the On operational status, asillustrated at 302, and the safety restraint device(s) 22 is/aredisengaged, as illustrated at 306, the safety restraint module 82 canthen communicate with the F/N/R controller 110 to determine whether thedrivetrain 34 is configured in the Forward Mode, the Neutral Mode, orthe Reverse Mode, as illustrated at 308. In various implementations ofsuch embodiments, if the safety restraint module 82 determines that thevehicle 10 is in the On operational status, the safety restraintdevice(s) 22 is/are disengaged, and the drivetrain 34 is configured inone of the Forward Mode or the Reverse Mode, the safety restraint module82 will monitor the RPM of the prime mover(s) 18 and output commands tocontrol the operation of the prime mover(s) 18 to limit the RPM of theprime mover(s) 18 to the maximum RPM threshold, as illustrated at 310.

It will be understood that if any of the conditions monitored by thesafety restraint module 82 during the operations indicated at 302, 306or 308 do not occur (e.g., the vehicle 10 is in an Off operationalstatus, and/or the safety restraint device(s) 22 are engaged, and/or theF/N/R controller is not set to the Forward or Reverse Mode), in variousembodiments, the safety restraint module 82 of such embodiments will notimplement prime mover RPM control, and will loop back to the operationindicated at 302 and repeat the subsequent operations, as describedabove.

Although the implementation of the prime mover RPM control by the safetyrestraint module 82 has been described with regard to flow chart 300such that the safety restraint module 82 determines the operationalstatus of the vehicle 10 (operation 302), then determines the engagementstatus of the safety restraint device(s) 22 (operation 306), thendetermines whether the drivetrain 34 is configured in the Forward,Neutral or Reverse Mode (operation 308), implementation by the safetyrestraint module 82 is not limited to this order of operations. It isenvisioned that the operations 302, 306 and 308, and any otheroperations described herein that are carried out by the safety restraintmodule 82, can be performed in any order.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 6, FIG. 6 provides a flow chart 400illustrating a method of prime mover RPM control implemented by thesafety restraint module 82, in accordance with yet another exampleembodiment. It is envisioned that implementation of the prime mover RPMcontrol by the safety restraint module 82 can be achieved via executionof the safety restraint RPM limiting software, by hardware, or acombination of software and hardware. In various embodiments, the RPMcontroller 14, and particularly the safety restraint module 82, canadditionally be in data communication with one or more seat pressuresensor 122 of the vehicle 10. The seat pressure sensor(s) 122 is/aredisposed within the one or more seating structure 80 and is structuredand operable to sense when a respective vehicle passenger (e.g., avehicle driver and/or other vehicle occupant) is present (e.g. sitting)in the respective seating structure 80. In such embodiments, in additionto the operations described above with regard to flow chart 200, thesafety restraint module 82 can communicate with (e.g., receive inputsfrom) the seat pressure sensor(s) 122 to monitor and determine whetherone or more vehicle passenger (e.g., a vehicle driver and/or othervehicle occupant) is/are present in a respective seating structure 80.

That is, in various embodiments, if the safety restraint module 82determines that the vehicle 10 is in the On operational status, asillustrated at 402, the safety restraint module 82 can then communicatewith the seat pressure sensor(s) 122 to determine whether one or morevehicle passenger (e.g., a vehicle driver and/or other vehicle occupant)is/are present in a respective seating structure 80, as illustrated at404. If the seat pressure sensor(s) 122 indicate(s) that one or morevehicle passenger is/are present in the respective seating structure 80,the safety restraint module 82 monitors the engagement status of thesafety restraint device 22 for any one or more of the vehiclepassenger(s) to determine whether the respective one or more safetyrestraint device(s) 22 is/are engaged, as illustrated at 406. In variousimplementations of such embodiments, if the safety restraint module 82determines that the vehicle 10 is in the On operational status, one ormore passenger(s) is/are present in the respective seating structure 80,and the safety restraint device(s) 22 of the any one or more of thevehicle passenger(s) is/are disengaged, the safety restraint module 82will monitor the RPM of the prime mover(s) 18 and output commands tocontrol the operation of the prime mover(s) 18 to limit the RPM of theprime mover(s) 18 to the maximum RPM threshold, as illustrated at 410.

It will be understood that if any of the conditions monitored by thesafety restraint module 82 during the operations indicated at 402, 406or 408 do not occur (e.g., the vehicle 10 is in an Off operationalstatus, and/or the seat pressure sensor(s) 122 indicate that one or morepassenger is/are not present, and/or the safety restraint device(s) 22are engaged), in various embodiments, the safety restraint module 82 ofsuch embodiments will not implement prime mover RPM control, and willloop back to the operation indicated at 402 and repeat the subsequentoperations, as described above.

Although the implementation of the prime mover RPM control by the safetyrestraint module 82 has been described with regard to flow chart 400such that the safety restraint module 82 determines the operationalstatus of the vehicle 10 (operation 402), then determines if one or morepassenger is present in the respective seating structure 80 (operation404), then determines the engagement status of the respective one ormore safety restraint device(s) 22 (operation 406), implementation bythe safety restraint module 82 is not limited to this order ofoperations. It is envisioned that the operations 402, 404 and 406, andany other operations described herein that are carried out by the safetyrestraint module 82, can be performed in any order.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 7, FIG. 7 provides a flow chart 500illustrating a method of prime mover RPM control implemented by thesafety restraint module 82, in accordance with still yet another exampleembodiment. It is envisioned that implementation of the prime mover RPMcontrol by the safety restraint module 82 can be achieved via executionof the safety restraint RPM limiting software, by hardware, or acombination of software and hardware. In various embodiments, the safetyrestraint module 82 can monitor each of the vehicle operational statussensor, switch or device 94, the seat pressure sensor(s) 122, the safetyrestraint sensor(s) 98 and the F/N/R controller 110. For example, insuch embodiments, the safety restraint module 82 communicates with theoperational status sensor, switch or device 94 to determine whether thevehicle 10 is in the On operational status, as illustrated at 502. Then,if the safety restraint module 82 determines that the vehicle 10 is inthe On operational status, the safety restraint module 82 communicateswith the seat pressure sensor(s) 122 to determine whether one or morevehicle passenger (e.g., a vehicle driver and/or other vehicle occupant)is/are present (e.g., sitting) in a respective seating structure 80, asillustrated at 504. Then, if the seat pressure sensor(s) 122 indicatethat one or more vehicle passenger is/are present in the respectiveseating structure 80, the safety restraint module 82 communicates withthe safety restraint sensor(s) 98 to monitor the engagement status ofthe safety restraint device 22 for any one or more of the vehiclepassenger(s) and determine whether the respective one or more safetyrestraint device(s) 22 is/are engaged, as illustrated at 506. Then, thesafety restraint module 82 can further communicate with the F/N/Rcontroller 110 to determine whether the drivetrain 34 is configured inthe Forward Mode, the Neutral Mode, or the Reverse Mode, as illustratedat 508.

In various implementations of such embodiments, if the safety restraintmodule 82 determines that the vehicle 10 is in the On operationalstatus, one or more passenger is/are present in the respective seatingstructure 80, and the safety restraint device(s) 22 of the any one ormore of the vehicle passenger(s) is/are disengaged, and the drivetrain34 is configured in one of the Forward Mode or the Reverse Mode, thesafety restraint module 82 will monitor the RPM of the prime mover(s) 18and output commands to control the operation of the prime mover(s) 18 tolimit the RPM of the prime mover(s) 18 to the maximum RPM threshold, asillustrated at 510.

It will be understood that if any of the conditions monitored by thesafety restraint module 82 during the operations indicated at 502, 504,506 or 508 do not occur (e.g., the vehicle 10 is in an Off operationalstatus, and/or the seat pressure sensor(s) 122 indicate that one or morepassenger is/are not present, and/or the safety restraint device(s) 22are engaged, and or F/N/R controller is not set to the Forward orReverse Mode), in various embodiments, the safety restraint module 82 ofsuch embodiments will not implement prime mover RPM control, and willloop back to the operation indicated at 502 and repeat the subsequentoperations, as described above.

Although the implementation of the prime mover RPM control by the safetyrestraint module 82 has been described with regard to flow chart 500such that the safety restraint module 82 determines the operationalstatus of the vehicle 10 (operation 502), then determines if one or morepassenger is present in the respective seating structure 80 (operation504), then determines the engagement status of the respective one ormore safety restraint device(s) 22 (operation 506), then determineswhether the drivetrain 34 is configured in the Forward, Neutral orReverse Mode (operation 508), implementation by the safety restraintmodule 82 is not limited to this order of operations. It is envisionedthat the operations 502, 504, 506 and 508, and any other operationsdescribed herein that are carried out by the safety restraint module 82,can performed in any order.

Although the operation of the safety restraint module 82 has beendescribed above to control the RPM of the prime mover(s) 18 such thatthe prime mover(s) 18 do not exceed the predetermined maximum RPMthreshold (e.g., 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000 or 6000 RPM) when it isdetermined that the vehicle 10 is in the On operational status and thesafety restraint device(s) 22 is/are disengaged, it is envisioned thatin various instances, when the safety restraint module 82 initiallymakes the determination to control the prime mover(s) 18 RPM to be at orbelow the maximum threshold, the RPM of the prime mover(s) 18 caninitially briefly/transiently exceed the maximum threshold and then bereduced and maintained at or below the maximum threshold.

It is envisioned that in various embodiments, the safety restraintmodule 82 can be in data communication with the driver informationdisplay panel/screen 118, and cause and audible to sound and/or visualwarning to be displayed on the driver information display panel/screen118 whenever the safety restraint device(s) 22 is/are disengaged and thesafety restraint module 82 limiting the RPM of the prime mover(s) 18 tothe maximum RPM threshold.

As described above, in various embodiments, the vehicle 10 can includeground speed sensor 114, which can be in data communication with atleast one of the other modules 88 of the RPM controller 14. As alsodescribed above, the ground speed sensor 114 is structured and operableto provide a signal indicative of the ground speed of the vehicle 10 toone or more of the other modules 88, which in-turn cause the groundspeed of the vehicle 10 to be displayed on driver information displaypanel/screen 118 for viewing by the vehicle operator. Importantly, invarious embodiments, such as that illustrated in FIG. 3, data from theground speed sensor 114 is not communicated to the safety restraintmodule 82 of the RPM controller 14, and more particularly is notutilized during to control (e.g., limit) the RPM of the prime mover(s)18 when one or more of the safety restraints 22 is disengage. While thedata representative of the ground speed can be provided as an input toone or more of the other modules 88, neither this data nor the groundspeed of the vehicle 10 is received by or used by the safety restraintmodule 82 to control (e.g., limit) the RPM of the prime mover(s) (e.g.,the ICE 38 and/or the electric motor 42) as described above.

The description herein is merely exemplary in nature and, thus,variations that do not depart from the gist of that which is describedare intended to be within the scope of the teachings. Moreover, althoughthe foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings describe exampleembodiments in the context of certain example combinations of elementsand/or functions, it should be appreciated that different combinationsof elements and/or functions can be provided by alternative embodimentswithout departing from the scope of the disclosure. Such variations andalternative combinations of elements and/or functions are not to beregarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the teachings.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle prime mover RPM controller, said RPMcontroller structured to: receive input from a vehicle operationalstatus switch of a vehicle in which the controller can be installed todetermine an operational status of the vehicle; receive input from atleast one safety restraint sensor of the vehicle to determine anengagement status of at least one passenger safety restraint of thevehicle; and output commands to limit a rotational speed of one or moreprime mover of the vehicle when the vehicle is in an On operationalstatus and the at least one safety restraint is in a disengaged status.2. The prime mover RPM controller of claim 1, wherein the prime moverRPM controller is further structured to output commands to a throttle ofat least one of the one or more prime mover to limit the rotationalspeed of the respective prime mover.
 3. The prime mover RPM controllerof claim 2, wherein the prime mover RPM controller is further structuredand operable to override inputs received from an accelerator pedal ofthe vehicle so that the rotational speed of the one or more prime moveris limited regardless the inputs received from the accelerator pedal. 4.The prime mover RPM controller of claim 1, wherein the prime mover RPMcontroller is further structured to output commands to a devicestructured and operable to control at least one of a current and avoltage supplied to at least one of the one or more prime mover to limitthe rotational speed of respective prime mover.
 5. The prime mover RPMof claim 4, wherein the prime mover RPM controller is further structuredto override inputs received from an accelerator pedal of the vehicle sothat the rotational speed of the one or more prime mover is limitedregardless of the inputs received from the accelerator pedal.
 6. Theprime mover RPM of claim 1, wherein the prime mover RPM controller isfurther structured to output commands to control an ignition timing ofat least one of the one or more prime mover to limit the rotationalspeed of the respective prime mover.
 7. The prime mover RPM of claim 1,wherein the prime mover RPM controller is further structured todetermine a presence of a vehicle passenger in a seating structure ofthe vehicle, and to limit the rotational speed of the one or more primemover of the vehicle by limiting the rotational speed of the one or moreprime mover of the vehicle when at least one passenger is present in theseating structure.
 8. A vehicle prime mover RPM controller, said RPMcontroller structured to: receive input from a vehicle operationalstatus switch of a vehicle in which the controller can be installed todetermine an operational status of the vehicle; receive input from atleast one safety restraint sensor of the vehicle to determine anengagement status of at least one passenger safety restraint of thevehicle; and output commands to limit a rotational speed of one or moreprime mover of the vehicle to a maximum threshold when the vehicle is inan On operational status and the at least one safety restraint is in adisengaged status.
 9. The prime mover RPM controller of claim 8, whereinthe prime mover RPM controller is further structured to output commandsto a throttle of at least one of the one or more prime mover to limitthe rotational speed of the respective prime mover to the maximumthreshold.
 10. The prime mover RPM controller of claim 9, wherein theprime mover RPM controller is further structured and operable tooverride inputs received from an accelerator pedal of the vehicle sothat the rotational speed of the one or more prime mover does not exceedthe maximum threshold regardless of the inputs received from anaccelerator pedal.
 11. The prime mover RPM controller of claim 8,wherein the prime mover RPM controller is further structured to outputcommands to a device structured and operable to control at least one ofa current and a voltage supplied to at least one of the one or moreprime mover to limit the rotational speed of respective prime mover tothe maximum threshold.
 12. The prime mover RPM of claim 11, wherein theprime mover RPM controller is further structured to override inputsreceived from an accelerator pedal of the vehicle so that the rotationalspeed of the one or more prime mover does not exceed the maximumthreshold regardless of the inputs received from an accelerator pedal.13. The prime mover RPM of claim 8, wherein the prime mover RPMcontroller is further structured to output commands to control anignition timing of at least one of the one or more prime mover to limitthe rotational speed of the respective prime mover to the maximumthreshold.
 14. The prime mover RPM of claim 8, wherein the prime moverRPM controller is further structured to determine a presence of avehicle passenger in a seating structure of the vehicle, and to limitthe rotational speed of the one or more prime mover of the vehicle bylimiting the rotational speed of the one or more prime mover of thevehicle to the maximum threshold when at least one passenger is presentin the seating structure.
 15. An off-road utility vehicle, said vehiclecomprising: a plurality of wheels operationally connected to a chassisof the vehicle; a passenger compartment supported by the chassis, thepassenger compartment comprising: a vehicle operational status switchstructured and operable to control the operational status of thevehicle; at least one seating structure structured and operable tosupport one or more vehicle passenger; and a safety restraint device,each safety restraint device structured and operable to retain arespective vehicle passenger in a respective seating structure; adrivetrain operationally connected to at least one of the wheels, thedrivetrain comprising one or more prime mover structured and operable togenerate torque deliverable to the at least one of the wheels; and aprime mover RPM controller, the prime mover RPM controller structuredand operable to: receive input from the vehicle operational statusswitch of the vehicle to determine an operational status of the vehicle;receive input from the safety restraint sensor of the vehicle todetermine an engagement status of the at least one passenger safetyrestraint; and output commands to one or more prime mover to limit arotational speed of the one or more prime mover of the vehicle when thevehicle is in an On operational status and the safety restraint is in adisengaged status.
 16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the prime moverRPM controller is further structured and operable to output commands toa throttle of at least one of the one or more prime mover to limit therotational speed of the respective prime mover.
 17. The vehicle of claim16, wherein the prime mover RPM controller is further structured andoperable to override inputs received from an accelerator pedal of thevehicle so that the rotational speed of the one or more prime mover islimited regardless of the inputs received from an accelerator pedal. 18.The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the prime mover RPM controller isfurther structured and operable to output commands to a devicestructured and operable to control at least one of a current and avoltage supplied to at least one of the one or more prime mover to limitthe rotational speed of the respective prime mover.
 19. The vehicle ofclaim 18, wherein the prime mover RPM controller is further structuredand operable to override inputs received from an accelerator pedal ofthe vehicle so that the rotational speed of the one or more prime moveris limited regardless of the inputs received from an accelerator pedal.20. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the prime mover RPM controller isfurther structured and operable to output commands to control anignition timing of at least one of the one or more prime mover to limitthe rotational speed of the respective prime mover.
 21. The vehicle ofclaim 15, wherein the prime mover RPM controller is further structuredand operable to determine a presence of a vehicle passenger in a seatingstructure of the vehicle, and to limit the rotational speed of the oneor more prime mover of the vehicle by limiting the rotational speed ofthe one or more prime mover of the vehicle when at least one passengeris present in the seating structure.